Chapter 11- The Mall
Celine Kane was in a disoriented state; she heard muffled sounds of Adam's voice and saw blurred visions of a figure which looked like Stephanie looking down on her. She was being wheeled in by paramedics into a hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has no memory of what brought her to this state, but something was telling her she had to leave, she had to leave soon for the safety of her friends.
Jacob Pastor drove into the very empty parking lot of Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. He was absolutely disgusted by the monstrosity of this mall and amusement park all wrapped into one. He hated malls because it gave people into their sins, gluttony, lust, and greed. Stephanie knew there was something up with Jacob, but she didn't want to pry because of what happened the last time she did that. The entire car ride it had been silent, from Washington to Minnesota, not a word had been said. Adam and Celine tried to stir up conversation, but no one would reply. All that was heard was the wailing screams of Steven Perry from Aerosmith the entire ride there. Jacob wanted to get done with this case as fast as possible, Dean had been texting him and they have been closing in on Lucifer. He believes that this chase is almost over and Stephanie would soon get the revenge she deserves.
"So we have the entire day to search this place, it's closed because of everything that's been going on." There have been many murders here at Mall of America, mostly woman and children, but they were covered up by freak accidents. Many people had said the place is haunted by the ghost of Louise Richter, a horse-back riding phenom from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She always came here every weekend and was the poster child for Bloomingdales, but one night she was murdered at this mall and no one knows why. "I think if we split up we can cover more ground, Stephanie you and I can take floors 1 and 2, Adam and Celine you can take floors 3 and 4. We can meet up at the food court once we are done?"
"I think maybe you should partner up with Adam, you two can bond over the place the both of you clearly hate."
"But I thought you might want to talk."
"Talk about what? Come on Celine let's go, we'll take floors 1 and 2." Which contained all the department stores from Abercrombie, to American Eagle, the candy store, food court, and amusement park. Stephanie grabbed Celine right away. "Come on Celine!" Jacob watched them leave and turned to look at Adam, who looked extremely frightened.
"Dude you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just hate malls!" Jacob rolled his eyes and headed to the elevator. A few hours had passed and there seemed to be nothing Supernatural about this place. Whoever killed all those mothers and children was very good at covering it up. Jacob and Adam decided to do an in depth investigation of this place as much as they hated it. They went through every department store, some even had multiple levels, they even searched the movie theater. Celine and Stephanie weren't that thorough, they headed to the food court but the boys were nowhere to be found, so they had time to kill. They rode scooters which they found from a sporting good store, tried on clothes at Forever 21 and Bloomingdales trying on ridiculous clothes. They headed to the music store eating cotton candy and gummy sharks, listening to the latest of the Black Keys. Celine noticed there was something up with Stephanie, that she was hiding something and thought this would be the perfect time to ask.
"So what's going on with you and Jacob?" She asked as Stephanie was flipping through the alternative/indie section and stopped for a quick second.
"Nothing, nothing is wrong with us!"
"Really because usually you would kill to spend time with him, also you guys barely spoke a word when we drove down here."
"Celine, nothing is going on between us."
"Did something happen in Puget Sound that I don't know about?" Stephanie knew Celine was just going to keep asking questions until she talked, so she might as well put the investigation at rest and cave in.
"Well since you asked, the truth is something did happen in Puget Sound. Something that wasn't supposed to happen." Stephanie put some CDs in her bag and continued walking around the huge music store. She told Celine everything, she realized while they may not be the best of friends, Celine would never tell anyone else her secrets. She was good at keeping secrets and who else would there be to talk to, certainly not Adam. She told them about how things boiled over in Puget Sound, how Jacob was sent down to Earth in the first place to watch over her. She told her about the night of their fight when Adam and Celine were at the library, and how they slept together. She also mentioned unexplainable dreams of her past, dreams that were memories, memories of someone always watching her, but she was unable to see him. "I didn't say anything before because I thought if I told someone…"
"You thought if you told someone, God would smite Jacob to Hell just like he did Lucifer?" Stephanie nodded. "Well Jacob has committed more crimes than having sex with the woman he loves. You would think after everything he has done he would've been sent to Hell already."
"You think he loves me?"
"How can he not, after everything he has seen in your life. He has watched you grow up into a beautiful, strong, independent woman. He obviously cares about you, he just can't exactly show it." They were now in the middle of the food court waiting for the boys, the smell of greasy Chinese food and hot dogs made Stephanie feel nauseous.
"I feel like I'm going to throw up." She threw the stuff she stole and ran to the nearest bathroom. Jacob and Adam were standing in the elevator listening to awful 1960s elevator music. Adam had been wigging out this entire time, he was pale and flushed, Jacob didn't understand why.
"You ok man? You look like you are about to hurl."
"Yeah I'm fine, it's just malls bring up bad memories."
"Why?"
"Well when you grew up in a small town with nothing to do but go to the mall… Let's just say I wasn't the guy I was six years ago."
"What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it, so what's going on with you and Stephanie?" Adam's lips were extremely chapped, he had the shakes, and a fever of 107. Something was clearly messed up with him, but he didn't want to admit it.
"Nothing is going on with Stephanie and I. We should really get you some medicine or something."
"Nah, I just really need to get out of here." They were finally back on the first floor where Celine was standing in the middle of the food court eating caramel corn. "Celine! Where is Stephanie?"
"She ran to the ladies room, Adam are you alright?" She noticed the sweat dripping from his forehead and checked his temperature. "Your burning up! Here take this." She took out some Dayquil, she had taken a quick trip to the drug store, not for the Dayquil but for something else. Stephanie came back, lips chapped and flushed, Jacob was worried and so was Celine.
"You alright Stephanie?"
"Yeah I'm fine, just fine. Adam are you ok?"
"Can people stop asking me that please, I just need to get out of this place!" He headed towards the front doors, Celine grabbing the things she stole.
"What is all that?"
"Some new tunes, food for the road, and some extra stuff I thought we might need." Adam tried opening the door but nothing was happening, he got extremely pissed off.
"Dammit! We're locked in!"
"What? There must be another way out."
"There has to be, and I am going to try my damnest to find it." Adam ran off trying to find another door, Celine followed trying to calm him down. Something about malls changed Adam, but no one understood why, no one but him. Stephanie went East and Jacob went south, they all met up in the food court again in about ten minutes.
"Anything?" Celine asked.
"Nothing." Jacob replied.
"Dammit! It was the damn mall cop I tell yah, you can never trust mall cops."
"Why would he lock every door when we are trying to help? It wasn't him, maybe it was the ghost. Let's just stay the night here and hope that he will come tomorrow with a key to let us out."
"Well it's only six, what do you expect us to do?" Stephanie asked, Celine looked at her with glee. They sat in the middle of the food court eating Chinese food, smoothies, and cinnamon rolled pretzels, the essential mall food. Fleet Foxes blasted on the stereo, after dinner Celine figured out a way to get the amusement park going. They went on the roller coaster, swung around on the swings, and enjoyed a ride on the carousel. Stephanie wasn't feeling too hot and it was getting late, they were all sitting on message chairs in the middle of Macy's furniture.
"So where should we sleep?" Adam was still sick to his stomach, Stephanie threw up about five times when they were having fun on the rides. An idea came up in Celine's head.
"So who wants to go camping?" She ran to the camping store, pitched up a tent, started a fake fire, and got out some stuff to make S'mores. They all sat by the campfire telling stories of their past, this was the first time in months where the four of them finally got to know each other on another level. After getting full off of semi-warm marshmallows and junk food, they thought it was perfect time to go to bed. Adam's fever went down, but he still wasn't too thrilled to be here, the stories and Celine being there helped him forget about his upset stomach. "Hey Stephanie do you want to come to JC Penny's with me to get some pajamas for all of us?" She grabbed Stephanie who was sitting closely with Jacob. "Boys do you mind setting up the sleeping bags? We'll be back in about ten minutes." With that the boys were left alone again to take care of things, Celine dragged Stephanie to the bathroom. "Here"
"What is this?"
"Something I think we need to figure out sooner rather than later." She looked in the bag and knew exactly what Celine wanted her to do. She went to the bathroom and stared at the pregnancy test, she had been throwing up and peeing a lot since that night. They stopped more times for bathroom breaks than food or gas breaks on the way here, than ever before. She hasn't had her period this month and was fearing the worse, placing the stick underneath her crotch. She closed her eyes praying to God hoping that the test would come out negative, there was no way in Hell she was ready to be a mom. The boy's got the bed's situated, lowered the heat of the fake fireplace and dimmed the lights. It looked like as if they were actually camping, because the ceiling looked like a clear night sky with all the constellations.
"So when did you and Stephanie sleep with each other?"
"What?"
"Come on it's obvious something happened to you two that night. Either you had a huge fight, kissed each other, or slept with each other. Something caused you two to not speak to each other and don't you think it's weird how many bathroom breaks we needed to take on the way here?"
"No, I thought it was the normal amount."
"Jacob why did you do it? You know you two can't be together, just like how I can't be with Celine."
"Ugh god Adam, do you really think I will be smited because of sleeping with the woman I love? If that was the case, don't you think it would've happened already?" Adam stared at Jacob blankly.
"Well maybe this is your smiting… Being dragged around the country with people you hate."
"You know Adam I am tired of your accusations. You should stop spending so much time judging me and think more about your relationship with Celine!"
"What?"
"I'm just saying sleeping with the love of your life might do you some good, because you never know when she might turn against us." He grabbed some water bottles and laid a blanket down in the tent. Adam just sat on a fake rock contemplating on what Jacob had said, he might've been right. Stephanie and Celine finally came back, they had obviously just been in an argument as well. You could tell Stephanie was angry by the fury burning from her eyes, through Celine's soul. "Hey is everything alright?"
"Why don't you ask her, because clearly she won't talk to me anymore." Stephanie went over to the sleeping pads and picked one out for herself, she was now wearing a onesie with cupcakes on it.
"Hey is everything ok?"
"Yeah, everything is fine. We just had an argument."
"Funny so did Adam and I."
"I think we should all just go to bed and hope that we can get out of here soon." Everybody was now vast asleep, wrapped up tightly in their sleeping bags. Celine couldn't fall asleep because she hated that she got in a fight with Stephanie, just when things were getting good. Stephanie was trying to fall asleep, but couldn't because she kept thinking about everything, the fights, her unwanted pregnancy, and her mother who would never know that she will soon become a grandmother. Jacob stared at Stephanie wanting so badly to talk to her and kiss her soft lips. Adam was the only one actually asleep, but he was having a terrible nightmare.
He was six years younger, with long hair, and braces, reading a book in the mall at his hometown in Ohio. He was a scrawny high school student reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower for the fiftieth time. He was minding his own business by the waterfall, until one beautiful figure walked passed him who was now smelling homemade soaps being sold at a kiosk. She had curly red hair, mesmerizing hazel eyes, wearing a school uniform. She had a smile that lit up the world and melted everyone's heart, she was the only girl in town who would ever stop by and say hi at the people selling stuff at kiosk's, she was that kind. She noticed Adam staring at him and waved, but he looked away blushing. A group of varsity football players were watching the loner staring at their group of girlfriends. The handsome quarterback in the middle was in flames as he saw her girlfriend wave to the nobody by the fountain.
"What do you think you are doing?" Adam looked behind him and saw five very big football players ready to start a brawl. He ignored them, put his book away and got up. "Oh no you don't." The leader grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Who thinks you can stare at my girlfriend and get away from it?" The beautiful senior cheerleader who waved to Adam stared at the fight that was beginning. Without second thoughts, the football player dunked Adam's head in the fountain. He moved him around wildly, giving him five seconds to breath, he kept doing it until finally the girlfriend came rushing over. Adam was losing consciousness until the girl pulled him up from the fountain. Soon everything got dark, he was in the woods, turned a corner and the same girl he had a crush on was mutilated, dead in the woods. Newspaper clippings kept popping up of a young teenage girl being murdered, the murderer was still walking among them. He woke up in shock, turned to his right to see if everybody was still sleeping, which they were. The only thing missing was Celine and he only thought of the worse.
"JACOB! STEPHANIE!" They slowly woke up from their slumber.
"What? What Adam?"
"It's Celine, she isn't here!" Stephanie got up worried, they all were thinking the same thing. They were thinking that the fight might've turned her back into soulless Celine, a Celine they didn't want to be in close corners with.
"Adam you need to calm down, she couldn't have gone far." Stephanie was just as nervous as Adam as she handed them flashlights. Celine was sleep walking and ended up in the basement, the broiler was burning hot. Someone from behind her snapped their fingers awaking Celine from her trance, she was in peril wondering how she got here. How Lucifer was standing in front of her, how the boy she remembered having relations in her demon past was pondering at her body.
"Celine Kane, boy is it good to see you!" Jeremy exclaimed.
"What do you want with me?"
"What makes you think we want you?" Lucifer replied in a sinister voice.
"Well you dragged me here in my sleep, you have killed everyone important in my life and Stephanie's, yet you still keep us alive? So clearly you want something from me or Stephanie." She looked into Jeremy's big green eyes and sexy smile.
"Alright, you got us… We do want something, but something you wouldn't just hand us yourself in the state you are in right now."
"What are you talking about?"
"We want what is growing inside Stephanie's uterus." She widened her eyes, the reason why Stephanie and herself got into a fight was because Stephanie wouldn't reveal the results of the test. "Yup that's right, Stephanie Cruz daughter of a hunter and lover of an angel, has conceived something truly magnificent."
"You want the baby?"
"Yes, Celine I want the baby!"
"Well you aren't going to get it!"
"What makes you say that?"
"Because I won't let you!" He threw her against the wall as Celine tried running into him, he was too strong. "You won't get away with this. Their smart, they'll know who did this to me!"
"Did what?" She was in so much pain, at a loss for words, she didn't know what to do.
"Lucifer, stop! You said you would…" Lucifer was annoyed by his second in command and killed him in cold blood. He was now lying on the floor breathless, eyes in shock.
"I said I would bring you eternal happiness, and now you have it." Lucifer replied to the dead demon.
"They won't let you get away with all of this! They'll figure it out."
"Ugh I'm bored and tired of your yapping." He made her insides boil, she fell to the ground grabbing her stomach. He would've killed her instantly, but he heard the others closing in on them and had to go. He rummaged through her bag and took out a very ancient box one that shouldn't be in his hands. Celine was screaming in pain and as soon as Lucifer left, everything was up and running again, the light's turned on, the broiler was at normal heat. But Celine was dying and still in pain, Adam was worried and rushed right to her.
"CELINE! Celine, what happened?" She was delirious and couldn't muster up any words, she pointed to her backpack.
"Lucifer… He was here." But saying those words so quietly was too much for Celine, she passed out cold, barely breathing. She was rushed to the hospital, slowly waking up, her head in immense pain, it was growing worse and she wanted to give up. Sam, Dean, and Castiel met up the four of them at the nearest hospital which was in St. Paul, Minnesota. Celine had been in surgery for hours, the doctors were luckily able to save her. There was much damage to her intestines and reproductive system, and the circulation of oxygen going to her brain was cut off. She was being held onto by life support and the love of her new family.
As Celine was lying on the hospital bed in a coma, with her friends and lover not knowing if she would ever wake up again, she dreamt. Jacob, Stephanie, Sam, Dean, and Castiel did all they could to distract themselves from the worst, by continuing on with the case. They found out that it wasn't the fable of Louise Richter haunting the Mall of America, in fact it was Lucifer killing all those women. All of this was to trap Celine and to put her in this state, all those women killed because of one girl.
As Adam was sleeping in the same position he has been in for the past couple of weeks, watching over Celine on the uncomfortable couch, Stephanie walked in with a couple cups of coffee. She hadn't slept for weeks, bags under her eyes, looking like a zombie. She didn't see Celine Kane in her bed, her friend was no longer there, she dropped her coffee in shock. She didn't want to wake Adam because this was the first time he had slept in weeks, she didn't know what to do. Should she call Jacob? Sam? Dean? Castiel? The doctors? None of those answers seemed plausible, so she paced around the room thinking of a plan. If Celine left with her humanity she would leave a note, but if she left in a demon state she would've left without a trace. She looked around everywhere for a note or a sign, something that can prove that Celine is still Celine Kane. She turned the room upside down quietly until finally she saw a piece of paper with Celine's signature on it. She stared at the paper, not wondering what to do with it, if she should read it or throw it away.
Dear Stephanie Cruz,
If you are reading this than that means I have run away, if you don't know where I am than don't come looking for me. I have given this much thought in my slumber and whatever I have chosen you have to know that I did it for you, Jacob, Adam, Sam and Dean. When I was trapped in the basement with Lucifer I knew the only way to keep you and the baby safe is if I ran away or died. I hope that if you are reading this that I am not dead, so if that is the case I need you to do me a favor. I need you to stop looking, stop looking for Lucifer, stop looking for me, and stop looking for revenge. You need to stop and think about yourself for a change, you are going to have a baby and need all the strength you have to keep that baby alive. I realized when I first met you, it was meant for something big, something that could change our lives forever. I know what I have to do now and I don't know how long that will take, or if I'll come back with my humanity or not. I can't tell you what I have to do because if I do, I know you won't listen to me. So please just forget about me for all of our sakes. But you can leave knowing one thing, that I love you and will always love you no matter what, that I love the Winchesters, Castiel, and Jacob and that soon all of this will be over.
Oh and Stephanie I have one more request, can you tell Adam that I love him and that I'll never stop loving him, but he needs to let go. I can't go on unless he moves on, he needs to because there is no way we can ever be together. Just tell him that, Goodbye and Good luck Stephanie Cruz. Hopefully someday we will meet again on this Highway to Hell.
Love,
Celine Kane.